January 19, 2017

The Japanese Communist Party 27th Congress on January 18 ended its four-day session after unanimously adopting a resolution calling on all JCP members to gather the wisdom and power needed to replace the Abe government with an opposition-alliance government. The Congress also elected a new leadership including the re-elected JCP Chair Shii Kazuo and Secretariat Head Koike Akira.

In the Congress held in Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture, the delegates also adopted the Central Committee report and concluding remarks on discussions by the party chair. The new Central Committee consists of 164 members and 50 alternate members. Ichida Tadayoshi, Ogata Yasuo, Tamura Tomoko, Hamano Tadao, Hiroi Nobuko, and Yamashita Yoshiki assumed the post of vice chairs.

In the concluding remarks on the final day, Shii said that 65 delegates took the rostrum during the deliberations, greatly contributing to making the discussion fruitful. He pointed out that representatives of three opposition parties and one parliamentary group attended the Congress and delivered speeches in solidarity, which is unprecedented in the party’s 95-year history. Shii added that an all-time high of 60,000 people watched the live streaming of the first day program and Shii’s Central Committee report.

The JCP Congress received messages from 26 foreign political parties and organizations as well as from 26 Dietmembers including former joint candidates of opposition parties in the 2016 Upper House election, 45 municipal heads, and a total of 96 labor unions, numerous civic organizations, and many individuals.

On January 17, young delegates in their teens and 20s held a gathering at the Congress venue to share how they experienced the Congress. The meeting was also joined by Chair Shii and Secretariat Head Koike.